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Ukraine in total natural disaster

Severe weather conditions left numerous cities without electricity, one person reported dead  Weather storm has covered nearly the whole territory of Ukraine.

Numerous regions report of accidents and power cuts caused by heavy rains and winds. Local residents also suffer from the consequences of natural disasters.

A 20-year-old man died in Kharkiv region amidst the field, his mother later found his body. In a while the medical expertise showed he had been struck by lightning and died because of electrical shock.

Ihor Lupandin, member of Ukraine's State Emergency Service in Kharkiv Region: "The field is an open space, so it is no surprise the man was killed by lightning. The medics later confirmed he had been damaged by electricity. Except for the thunderstorm, there can be no other reasons."

Torrential rains followed by thunderstorm struck several districts of the city of Kharkiv. The meteorologists say there have been a monthly rainfall level during one night. Four cars have been damaged so far, several multistoried buildings remain without roof, for it has been torn off by strong wind flow. The workers of communal service say they will need at least a couple of days to eliminate the results of the weather disaster.

15 villages in the whole region remain without electrical supply.

In the city of Dnipro the abnormal heat was replaced by heavy rains and thunderstorm. A great deal of rainfall has resulted in massive floods in the city centre, as well as the outskirts. In order to escape submerging deeply in water, numerous pedestrians had to climb up the benches. Those driving a car encountered additional problems, since the vehicles were not able to move through the entire water front. Some of the number plates were washed off, now the police seek for their owners. 

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Photo courtesy - social media

One more accident caused by weather conditions happened in the city of Poltava, that is north-eastern Ukraine. A multistoried building caught fire after being hit by lightning. A portion of electricity struck the aerial on the roof, the next moment the flame encompassed the area of 500 square metres in total.

City administration sent the whole firemen staff to battle the fire. Despite big number of workers, they managed to extinguish the flame only three hours later. One of the flats on the 5th floor is totally burnt, 10 other apartments are flooded with water, the roof is also partially destroyed.

Ukrainian capital also suffered from bad weather. In the centre of Kyiv strong winds overthrew an old maple. No injuries reported, though the centennial tree damaged four cars, electrical cable, and protective net on one of the balconies. The vehicles belonged mainly to the workers of Ukraine's Security Service that is situated close to the site. Now some of them are set to complain to the court.

Minister's earthquake prediction

What are they based on?

It is with bemusement that we note our Minister for Relief and Disaster Management giving such categorical assurance that Bangladesh will not experience a massive earthquake in the magnitude of 8 or 9 on the Richter scale. This he has said in the backdrop of a study by a geologist at Columbia University in New York City that has found that Dhaka sits on a dangerous fault which could trigger a massive earthquake affecting around 140 million people in the region that includes Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. 

While we are not suggesting for a moment that there will be a mega quake, we hesitate to rule out such a possibility altogether without scientific basis. Just because we have been lucky enough to be spared an earthquake of such magnitude for the last 200 years as the Minister has quoted, does not guarantee that it will not occur now or in the near future. While it is important for the minister to tell people not to panic, his dismissal of an earthquake of that scale occurring, we feel, is misplaced. Given that it is not possible to predict whether such an earthquake is imminent, or that it may occur after a few hundred years, the most prudent task for a country under risk would be to boost its preparedness for such a disaster.  

What the minister should be telling the public is how prepared the nation is or needs to be for such a disaster should it occur. This includes training rescue teams, mobilizing volunteers, educating the public on survival skills, keeping adequate hospital staff to attend to the injured, enough ambulances, firefighting facilities etc. Only such contingency plans can reassure the public.

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